Bait
by MizFortune
Summary: Icthior is back, and he's captured Kat Manx. What would the results be? Will Doggie be able to save her in time, or will she die without a friend by her side?


Bait  
An SPD Story  
Disclaimer: I own it all, so get off my property! LOL You guys know that drill.  
Note: Okay, this is the first oneshot that you guys wanted to see. Yes, you guys voted for this, so if you don't like i, deal with it. You wanted it, you got it. Anyway, please look at the 'Future Stories' section for more oneshots. I have three up for voting. So, here, you guys get to decide what I post!

Now, on with the story!

* * *

Icthior has escaped, while the Rangers were taking him in for questioning(Okay, seriously, did they not learn anything during 'Recognition'?). "I will be back, Doggie Cruger." he vowed, as he ran from SPD Earth and into a cave, somewhere far, far, way. "And this time, I will make you pay."

The escaped criminal then started to plot. It didn't take long for a perfect scheme to come to him. He knew just the thing that would cause his old rival pain and suffering beyond compare. He cackled, 'cause that's what villains do when they're about to set their plan into action.

* * *

Kat Manx was working very hard to find a way to track "Icky". The Felinian was wearing a white lab coat over a grey sweater and a black skirt with boots to match. She was also out of luck with finding the villain.

"Doggie, " she said, turning to the Commander, who now stood beside her. "I can't get a location. He probably has some kind of cloaking device that not even my Gamma Filters can detect."

Doggie growled. "He's up to something. I know he is."

"I'll try to-"

"No." Doggie cut off. "Do not worry about him anymore. Leave him to me."

"Yes, sir." Kat said, after a pause.

The rest of the day went on like any other. You know, the Rangers containing another alien and destroying a robot, Boom practically destroying Kat's lab, Kat updating the Zords. The usual. Soon, the moon and the stars lit up the night sky. It was time to call it a day.

Kat was heading to her quarters when something from the shadows reached out and grabbed her, putting a hand over her mouth.

"You're coming with me." a familiar voice rasped out. Kat gasped, then screamed against the hand over her mouth, as the person dragged her out of SPD Base. Kat only stopped struggling because someone had sedated her.

* * *

"Has anyone seen Kat?" Cruger asked the Rangers the following morning.

"No, sir." the B-Squad answered.

"You know, what if we're all-" Bridge stopped, seeing everyone in the room give him the "look".

"Sir, may Z and I have permission to check her quarters?" Syd asked.

"You may." Cruger allowed. Syd and Z then saluted and exited the Command Center, heading for Kat's quarters.

"Now, there is a disturbance at the G Sector. You Rangers check it out." Cruger ordered.

"Yes, sir!" The ranger boys answered, then saluted. They then ran to the Zord Bay to get their bikes.

"It's Icthior!" Jack exclaimed, as he, Sky and Bridge got off their vehicles and saw the criminal.

"Hello, Rangers." Icthior greeted, an evil smile on his face. "Why only three?" he mocked. "Does dear old Doggie know that I have something of his?" he asked the B-Squad, as two Krybots brought in a struggling Kat.

"Let me go!" she demanded, then stopped, seeing Jack, Sky and Bridge.

"Kat!" they all yelled.

"Time to get serious!" Jack said, taking out his morpher. "Ready?"

"Ready!" Bridge and Sky answered, imitating Jack.

"SPD, Emergency!" the three boys shouted in unison, as they morphed. The Red, Blue, and green Rangers then kicked all the Krybots' robotic butts.

"Let's get him!" Sky ordered, as all three of them charged at Icthior while firing their lasers.

"Ocean Saber!" Icthior called, blocking all of the laser beams. "Don't bother with your silly toys." he told the Rangers. "Just tell Doggie that I have his beloved Katherine. I'll be waiting." And with that, Icthior activated smoke pellets that were planted all over the place and made his escape, taking Kat with him.

When the smoke cleared, there was no sight of Icthior -or Kat. "He got away!" Jack said, kicking a huge rock without feeling any pain.

All of them powered down and then returned to SPD Base.

* * *

"He has KAT?!" Doggie thundered, shooting up from his chair. The cadets winced.

"Um, yes, sir." Jack answered.

"He said he'll be waiting for you." Sky added.

"If you don't, sir, he might hurt Kat real bad. I mean, like, so bad that she might actually-" Well, we all know who said that.

"Enough." Cruger cut off. "That will be all. Dismissed."

"But, sir, what about-

"Dismissed." Cruger repeated. The Rangers sighed then exited the room. "Kat..." he whispered. Again, she had been taken from him. And again, he would do anything -everything- to get her back. He took Shadow Saber and his Delta ATV, all given to him by Kat, and rushed to Sector G, to rescue Kat.

* * *

"Hey, Icky!" Kat called. "Doggie will come for me."

"Of course he will." Icthior answered. "For you are the perfect bait for Doggie, dear Katherine. I know Doggie Cruger has fallen in love with you." he sneered, as Kat stopped struggling against her bounds and gasped behind her gag.

* * *

"Icthior, show yourself!" Doggie shouted. He was at Sector G, and he's come for Kat.

"Hello, Doggie." Icthior replied, stepping out from the shadows.

"What have you done with Kat?!" Doggie barked.

"Don't worry about dear Katherine. She is safe. For the moment."

Cruger growled. "Let's get this over with." and with that, he withdrew Shadow Saber, just in time to block Icky's attack. "You are despicable, Icthior." Doggie said, as he and his old rival fought. "You've done your share of bad things, but this is the lowest."

"Thank you." Icthior sneered. "Better make this quick, Doggie. Dear Katherine doesn't have much time."

Hearing this, Doggie growled. Both were equally skilled, but Doggie was more determined. He won the fight and picked Icthior up by this collar. "Where - is - Kat?!" he growled.

"You'll never find her!" Icthior rasped.

"Oh, really?" Doggie asked angrily, raising his Saber.

"Alright, alright!" Icthior said. "She's at the old Saint Joseph Cathedral!"

That said, Cruger confined his old rival. He then took off on his Delta ATV, headed for the Cathedral.

* * *

"Let me go!" Kat ordered, as she struggled against her bounds. She managed to take out a few Krybots, but an Orangehead stunned her, knocking her out.

Kat awoke in a dark place. The smell of candles and dust hung in the air. She realized that she was sitting on a chair, her hands and feet bound by super thick rope. To top it off, Blueheads were guarding the doors and windows. She tried to free herself, but only got scrapes and bruises in the process.

Suddenly, she heard the doors creak open, destroying the foot soldiers. Kat squinted against the light and saw Doggie Cruger. He started to run towards her, but was stopped by Broodwing, who threw three containers of Krybots at him. Broodwing the flew out of the Cathedral, cackling, leaving Doggie to fight the Krybots the fiend left behind.

Cruger growled and then morphed into the Shadow Ranger. "Alright. Let's do this!" he said, as he drew Shadow Saber and prepared to fight the Krybots, who attacked him first, then came three Orangeheads and five Blueheads. Of course, all were defeated by Doggie.

Oh, did I mention the building was on fire?

By the time Doggie got around to rescuing Kat, the Felinian had passed out from the lack of oxygen in the room. Doggie, transformed as Shadow, of course didn't faint because there were air filters inside his helmet.

He quickly untied Kat, and, before you could say "SPD, Emergency," he was gone, along with Kat in his arms.

* * *

"How is she?" Doggie asked Dr. Felix. Kat was on a white cot before him, sleeping...or in a coma. She also had an air mask around her mouth to help her breathe.

"She's holding up fine, but a lot smoke got into her lungs that she'll probably need those air filters for about two weeks. Other than that, there are no major injuries." the doctor informed him.

"And what about those marks?" Doggie asked, looking at the scars on Kat's wrists and ankles.

"I assume that the fiend tied her up tightly, but still she tried to get away." the Doctor turned to leave to room. "She will need to stay here until she herself can, at the very least, be to breathe by herself." then, the Doctor left.

Doggie sighed and sat back down on the chair beside Kat's bed.

"Um, sir?" a voice asked. Cruger turned around and saw the B-Squad by the door, all looking worried about Kat.

"Is it alright it we stay here?" Syd asked, her voice barely even a whisper.

"We heard she was..." Sky started, but collected himself. "But we're glad she isn't."

"Yeah, I mean, Kat's been so nice to us. Kinda like a mom." Z added. The others nodded in agreement.

"Of course." Cruger answered, as the Rangers gathered around Kat, waiting for some sign of her waking up.

None came.

* * *

Three months later

Doggie wasn't as he was a couple of months ago. He wasn't as calm as before, either. He wasn't eating a lot, and his fists were always curled up. And yet, not a day would go by that he won't visit the Infirmary to see Kat Manx, hoping that she would wake.

Every day, he was disappointed.

Sure, she was alive. There was a heartbeat, pulse. Her blood was still flowing. But no brain waves came.

"She is just an empty shell now, sir." Dr. Felix told him one day. "There is nothing we can do...but to end this."

"What are you saying, Doctor?" Cruger asked through gritted teeth.

"It means we'll have to...pull the plug, sooner or later." Doctor Felix answered sadly.

That day is today.

* * *

Doggie walked into the room, knowing that this is the last day of Kat's life -and he can't do anything about it.

Doctor Felix was already there, as were a few other medics. "Commander..." Doctor Felix began sadly.

"I know." Cruger cut off. "But before you do it, may I have a few moments alone with her?" he asked.

"Of course." and witht hat, the Doctor signaled for the other medics to exit from the room, and then followed them outside himself.

Doggie pulled a chair from a desk and positioned it near Kat's cot, and held the Felinian's hand. He sighed. "Kat," he began. "I don't know if you can hear me, but, if you do, know that I ...I love you. I always have, and I always will. Not just as a friend, but as something more. I know it's too late for all of this, but I ...I just wanted to have a chance to let you know. I'm sorry, Kat."

He waited a minute. Five minutes. If she did hear him, she didn't give any sign that she did. Dr, Felix entered the room. "Sir, it's time."

"I love you, Kat." Doggie whispered, reaching for the plug that gives Kat her air supply. He was about to pull it, when...a voice suddenly called his name, stopping him.

"Doggie..." the voice called again. It was barely a whisper, but he heard it. It was muffled, but it was there. Kat is alive!

Doggie dropped the plug and rushed to Kat's side, then held her in a tight embrace. "I...I thought I lost you..." he whispered into her hair, as she put her arms around him, comforting him. She didn't speak, only cried. She hugged her best friend tightly also.

Dr. Felix ran an analysis and found out that Kat had made a miraculous recovery, just in the nick of time, too. He went outside to tell that Rangers, who have been very depressed ever since they found out about their "mother"'s condition.

"Kat...do you remember me?" Doggie asked, pulling away from the embrace.

"How can I forget you, you stubborn old dog?" Kat whispered though her mask, smiling. Doggie grinned.

"You're back." he said, then took a deep breath. "Kat, I-" he was interrupted by an excited and happy shriek and the door suddenly opening. The Rangers were here.

"Sorry, sir-"

"But Dr. Felix told us-"

"Kat's awake-"

"And we came here-"

"As fast as we can-" The Rangers panted.

"But we're not interrupting anything...are we?" Z asked, looking at Cruger and Kat, who shook her head no, oblivious to the fact that the Rangers were interrupting something.

"Thank you, Rangers." Kat told the five teens, who were all by her bedside.

"Aww, Kat, don't thank us." Syd told the woman.

"Yeah, I mean, you're like our mom or something." Bridge said.

"You're always taking care of us." Z added.

"You and DC took us from the streets and gave us another chance." Jack said. "You guys are like our parents."

"We are a family." Sky added. "An SPD Family." he looked at Cruger. "Right, sir?"

"Yes." the Sirian answered. Then, the rangers all hugged their "mother". When they pulled apart, Kat was crying.

"Thank you, everyone." she said. "You are my family." the Felinian repeated, smiling through her tears. She then looked at Cruger. "Doggie, were you going to say something earlier?" she asked.

Doggie didn't answer for about a half a minute, then walked towards Kat, the Rangers making way for him. "Well...during your...coma, I realized that you...you mean the world to me. I...I don't want to lose you ever again." Then the Sirian knelt down on one knee, and pulled out a lavander colored box from one of his pockets. "Kat, will you marry me?"

Kat's eyes widened as Doggie opened the box, revealing a gold chained necklace with a Journey pendant, which was studded with diamonds, and a ring with a simple band and a heart-shaped diamond stud on it. The Rangers gasped in awe, then looked at Kat, whose face was tear stricken. She cried tears of joy, took off the mask, and leapt into Doggie Cruger's arms. "Yes!" she cries, embracing the Sirian tightly.

Doggie returned the embrace, holding her like she was the best thing in the galaxy. In Doggie's world, she is. No, she IS his world. The Rangers clapped and cheered, and thought, 'It's about time.'

When all is said and done, he did get the girl after all.

* * *

Okay, note here. Why? 'Cause I can. Anywy, I'm really proud of myself for updating a lot this past week,so, yay, me!

Side notes:

Cruger got the ring and necklace for Kat, for when she recovers. But when he found out that she wasn't getting better, he planned to give it to her before the plug is pulled. So there.


End file.
